Is the fan replaceable?

I have an R1 and today my fan decided to call it quits. It doesn't turn on at all anymore. I'd like to fix or replace it, but I'm not sure where to start. I talked to Dell, but they told me it was attached to the heatsink and not replaceable. However, they also told me that I needed to purchase a new copy of Windows from them and reinstall after they replaced the fan for me, so I'm not so sure I trust them. I also read a user say " I've broken the system down completely, and have removed the fan (it was easy)."

All of that said, I'd also like to know if anyone thinks this may be fixable without getting a new part, or what may have even caused it.

Also, does anyone know the safe operating temps for the R1 with the SU4100? They are all currently in the low 50s (I have a desk fan blowing into the intake), and I think that's safe for light use, but I'm not really sure.

Any info at all would be very much appreciated.

 

heres a fan part, Dell Alienware M11x CPU Cooling Fan HRN0P 5M8N2 | eBay and there is a teardown guide on youtube so i dont think it should be that hard to do,

i dont think 50 is too high, but it would need then fan for anything intensive

 

Yes it is replaceable, you can try looking online (eBay, Amazon) or go to Ztronics.com

 

I had my fan/heatsink replaced under warranty - it involved a helluva lot of stripping down, but I imagine that with step-by-step instructions and a methodical approach it could be done by anyone (except me ).

 

The fan bit is a bit fiddly, but i do believe you can replace only the fan without the whole heatsink assembly, though just the fan is a bit fiddly, and you should keep in mind that you'll need a finer philips than PH000. I used a tiny philips i had that came with my replacement DSL battery, as the one you use for most screws in the m11x will be too chubby to undo screws on fan/heatsink.

 

M11x Teardown:

Alienware M11x R1, R2 & R3 Full System Disassembly - YouTube